Remember the 2012 Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas

It’s the unique, once a year Monster Energy Cup! Held at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas!

It’s a warm sunny day, and the crowd is already filling into the pits. A lot going on there. The track is unique as well – it’s combination of ‘indoor / outdoor’ (Supercross / Motocross). The track is long, has no whoops, and a wide, banked, large corner on the south end of the track (see photo).

The Talladega ‘turn’

News here today – Ricky Carmichael and Suzuki have joined forces with the Hart and Huntington race team. One of their riders for 2013 – Broc Tickle.

Ricky Carmichael’s Suzuki is now part of the Hart and Huntington Team

Josh Grant #33 Yamaha with the Joe Gibbs Racing MX Team

Number 14 Kevin Windham made his return to racing … but had a fall in practice and is out of today’s event.

Opening ceremonies started around 7pm. National Anthem. Introduction of riders. Fireworks. Music.

There are going to be eight races tonight: The LCQ is first, it’s five laps, and the top four get to transfer to the ‘Cup’ main events. Next race – Main Event 1, then Super Mini Race 1, Amateur All-Stars race 1, Main Event 2, Super Mini Race 2, Amateur All-Stars race 2, and then the final ‘Cup’ Main Event (3). The three main events are 10 laps each.

The top four of the LCQ that get to go to the Main Events are: Politelli, Swanepoel, Jeff Alessi, and Howell.

The crowd is standing for the start of Main Event 1. It’s ten laps. One interesting thing about this race – it’s a ‘split-start’. Riders enter the main stadium area from two different lanes.

Dungey bobbles. So it’s Villopoto entering the stadium, already with a big lead! Justin Barcia is now second. Grant is holding off Dungey … but not for long. Running order on lap six – Villopoto out front … by a long way. Barcia is second. Dungey bobbles again – it’s Grant in third. Then Dungey, Alessi, Reed now in sixth. Tomac next.

Villopoto, is his first race since the Seattle Supercross, is way out front. Justin Barcia, in his first 450 Supercross in the USA, is second.

Ryan Villopoto has crushed everyone in this first moto. Winning convincingly! Finishing order of this race is Villopoto, Barcia, Ryan Dungey, Eli Tomac, and Josh Grant.

Can Villopoto repeat and do what he did last year? In his first race back after an injury???

Now it’s time for Main Event 2. At 8:53pm, Ryan Villopoto emerges with the holeshot. Amazing. Ryan Dungey is right behind him. Mike Alessi is third. Chad Reed is fourth, with Josh Grant fifth.

As he is leading, on the outside part of the track, Ryan Villopoto goes down! And he’s slow to restart. It’s now Ryan Dungey in the lead. Mike Alessi second, Reedy next, and Justin Barcia into fourth. Grant fifth.

Reed is on the gas. And so is Mike Alessi. Alessi has passed Ryan Dungey and moved into the lead! Alessi is leading, Barcia is second, Reed has moved into third. and Dungey fourth.

Alessi had a nice lead … but Barcia has closed right up on him. On the back paart of the course, lap six, Barcia has moved into the lead! Alessi second. Lots of action going on behind them. There is a ‘Joker Lane’ that each rider has to do for one lap per race. (It’s a section of the track with bumps and slower lap time than normal.)

This ten lap race win goes to Justin Barcia! Ryan Dungey is second. Mike Alessi finishes third. Then Tomac, Grant, Reed. Ryan Villopoto comes up to finish 12th. Barcia is in the best position to claim the MEC 2012 right now.

The overall victory for Amateur All-Stars is Cooper Webb. Adam Cianciarulo is second overall. Paul Coates gets third overall.

Last race of the night. And the most important. Main Event 3. Guess what? Ryan Villopoto will not be racing this moto. That crash he had in the second moto was enough to keep him out of this final race.

As the riders come into the stadium from the outside area, it’s M Alessi leading thru one alley, and R Dungey leading thru the other alley. Dungey takes the holeshot … but after the long straight that leads to a tight right hander, it’s Mike Alessi with the lead.

No matter to Ryan Dungey. As they start lap two it’s Dungey with the lead. Justin Barcia now second. Eli Tomac has moved to third. Josh Grant fourth. Chad Reed fifth. Looks like Alessi went down.

This race could come down to the ‘Joker Lane’. It’s a small section of track that the riders must do at least once per moto – and it’s probably five seconds slower for that one lap that the riders have to use it compared to their normal lap times.

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